How to get started with blogging with ShopStyle Collective!

This post is sponsored by ShopStyle Collective. All opinions are my own.

Thank you for supporting the brands that support this blog.

 It's hard to believe I've been blogging for 12 years now! What started as something small to keep me busy as I transitioned from being a full-time working mom to a stay-at-home mom has now turned into a successful and fulfilling career for me. When I first started blogging I would quickly do a blog post here and there while my toddlers napped or after they went to bed at night... and now with one in high school and one in middle school this is a full-time job for me. I could never have imagined what this little space on the internet could've become and how the internet would evolve over the past 12 years. When I started there was no such thing as Instagram, Pinterest and Facebook pages. And at the time it was quite difficult to monetize my blog because it was mostly uncharted territory.

Shop the look: jeans, sweater, necklace & necklace

Fast forward to the present and I often get emails or DMs like: I want to start blogging? How do I start blogging? Is it too saturated of a market to start now? How do I monetize my Instagram?Help I am so overwhelmed! I think there is room for EVERYONE on the internet. Whether you want to start a full fledged blog, or just an Instagram account or maybe even an email newsletter - it's never been easier to start AND to monetize your channels however you like. Not only has blogging been an incredible creative outlet for me over the years, it has also been a great source of income for my family. I love being a working mom with the flexibility to never miss a moment while still completely rocking at building a business. It's truly the best of both worlds!

Through all the trials and challenges of getting started blogging and sustaining a solid readership on social media I've had one secret partner the whole time, right by my side, always supporting me. The entire team at ShopStyle Collective are some of the best humans on the planet (Seriously! They such a kind and fun bunch!). They care deeply about my success and are there with me every step of the way. I love that they are seriously committed to helping bloggers and social media influencers monetize their content in an organic and simple way. 

ShopStyle Collective is an affiliate marketing company that helps me monetize my content. So how does it work? It's super easy, I have an account with ShopStyle Collective that helps me create trackable links for my blog and social channels. A trackable link means when someone buys from one of my links I receive a small referral commission. ShopStyle Collective offers incredible analytics so I can keep track of what people are clicking and buying and I can see up to the minute reporting on how my content is performing on any given day, week or month.

If you are new to blogging or curious about getting started, you might be overwhelmed with how to make money. Creating content can be so fun and rewarding but figuring out how to make it an actual business can seem like an insurmountable challenge. Enter: my long time partner ShopStyle Collective. Not only are they equipped to help veterans in the business evolve and grow, but they are launching a NEW program that I am so excited to tell you about for those that are brand new to online content creation or are those that have experimented with online content creation and really want to make a business out of it. With life looking different for so many right now with at home school and so many businesses downsizing, it's a great time to dive into the online space.

Shopstyle Collective's new program for nano- and micro-influencers is called The Standard Program. It's a simplified version of their current offerings to specifically support new and emerging influencers and it's targeted specifically for users under 10,000 followers. This new program is perfect for new influencers who are still learning how to convert sales, are experimenting with creating content for the first time and are working on growing their audience. You don't need to feel like a pro to jump in with this earning plan! ShopStyle Collective has made sure that the tools and analytics are simple and straightforward so you can focus on getting your social channels off the ground. Most affiliate marketing is based on a pay-per-sale model, meaning you only make a commission when you make a sale from the link. The Standard Program rewards you on a pay-per-click model, which means as soon as someone clicks on your links you will instantly earn a small commission. This makes it REALLY EASY to get started with monetization right out of the gate and will help you learn what type of content and links converts to sales the best for your audience. You can sign up and learn more about the program here.

If you've ever thought about starting to create content on social media and you are feeling overwhelmed or stuck on where to start, I can't recommend this program from ShopStyle Collective enough. It's a super simple and streamlined program to get up and running right out of the gate without feeling overwhelmed. You can find out more about the program here, or feel free to comment or email me with more questions!

3 tips for amazing photos for style bloggers!

I have been re-working a few of the behind the scenes things here on the blog. Some of you may have noticed, but most of you probably haven't so I thought I would fill you all in.  Once upon a time I wrote a number of successful e-books.  But it's hard to believe that they are now quite out dated. It always amazes me how time flies... you too?  Instead of updating them and offering them as downloads again I thought I would instead update them in more of an infographic-type layout for ease of use. Who wants to download stuff when they can just pin it to their Pinterest account instead... am I right?

The first one I am working on is the 3 Tips for Amazing Photos for Style Bloggers. This used to be a free download and it's one I am super passionate about. When I first started taking pictures of my outfits I was CLUELESS, so these are my beginners tips that I hope help you!  (Also, these tips works just as well for taking pictures of your kids too... I use the same techniques for our yearly Christmas photo of the kids and photos of them for our gallery wall too!)

Please also let me know if you have any questions about any of these tips or photos in general in the comments.  I'm no pro, but I can tell you what works for me and my husband (he does the snapping and I do the editing!).

I hope you enjoy these tips!

On another note, look for a new and updated version of my very popular '50 Things Every Woman Should Own' soon - this was another e-book that I will updating into a visual as well.  The very informative 'Blogging Bits' e-book is still in limbo. I would love to update it in a meaningful and useful way for my readers (this was an e-book with blogging tips).  I would love to hear your feedback, what is the best way for me to bring you gals blogging tips on a regular basis? More 5 Tips type posts or something else? Speak up, I'd love to hear!

5 blog tips LINDA would totally give you if you were bff's!

After I wrote this (very popular) post on the 5 tips I would give you on blogging if we were bff's - my gal pal Linda said... "hey, I want to share my tips too!" Yay! The more the merrier!

On a quick side note I have heard from quite a few attendees of the Alt Design Summit (a blogging conference that took place a few weeks back) say that they wished they would have heard the speakers and experienced bloggers spill a little more about their "secrets" to successful blogging.  I don't know if there is really "secrets" to blogging... I think it is a lot of hard work and a touch of luck/opportunity along the way.  But I definitely think that there are tips and tricks that we can share to boost one another  and our blogs up.

That is why I am so happy to bring you another set of 5 tips from Linda today... they are GOOD and I think you will enjoy them!

Hello Good Life readers! I'm Linda from Rose à la Mode and a long time Good Life fan. In fact, Jill's the one who inspired me start my own blog! I've been blogging since 2009 and have learned a few tricks. When I saw Jill's original post, I asked her if I could join in on the fun. So, here are my 5 tips to hopefully help you out.

Tip One: Figure Out Why You're Blogging. This was a tough one for me and a question that I'm still searching for the answer—maybe because the answer changes. But everyone has a different reason to blog. My husband has been blogging full time for the past 5 years and his main goal was to start a business because that's what he loves doing. My main goal (though it has evolved and changed) was because I wanted to shop everyday. Ha! The reason this is important is depending on your goal, you need to take different action steps. For my husband, it is his full time job. For me, I just want a creative outlet, so although I have a few tricks up my sleeve to make some money, that's not my main goal—so I use shortcuts which may not make me much money, but are accomplishing my goal of a creative outlet.

Tip Two: Use Shopstyle and/or RewardStyle. If you post anything about clothes, you should get familiar with these affiliate programs. It just makes your life easier when finding products and you can make a little dough on the side with every product you link to. You may have to explore them a little to figure things out, but it'll be worth it in the end. (Sign up for a Shopstyle account here.)

Tip Three: Try To Get Links From Other Blogs. Everything from guest posting, joining in on link parties, and taking ads on other blogs sites will all bring you more traffic. I've utilized all of these methods and they've really been beneficial and my blog is what it is today because of it. Otherwise, how else will you get the word out? I also really recommend the It List because it is seriously a great avenue for gaining friends and new traffic.

Tip Four: If You're Getting Overwhelmed, Take A Break From Looking At Other Blogs In Your Niche.  Just quit them. This is not a recommended long term solution for many different reasons. However, I have found that when I get overwhelmed with keeping up with the Joneses, I simply take some time to stop looking at others and focus on what I love and want out of this experience.

Tip Five: Be OK With Not Always Being The Best. I have had a really difficult time wondering why I am not as successful as other people in my niche. So much so, that I took off a good 6 months last year just trying to make sense of things. There's so much pressure to "BE ORIGINAL!" that it makes it almost impossible to do so. And then I realized, I don't have to be the best blogger. I don't have to be the most popular. I know I'm not the prettiest girl in the world, and I live on a budget, so buying everything that is sold in stores is out of the question. And all this is OK with me. In fact, I think being limited makes for a better blog because it increases your creativity. It doesn't mean I have nothing to offer and it doesn't mean I should quit. I have decided that it's better this way, because I get to do my thing and not worry about what anyone else is thinking or saying about me. And for me, that is success.

~~~

Thanks so much for sharing Linda!

5 blog tips I would totally give you if we were bffs.

Lately I've had the pleasure of meeting with local bloggers from time to time to chat about life and blogging and life.  The more I meet with fellow bloggers, the more I realize how passionate I am about blogging... so naturally that usually leads me to spewing a bunch of mumbo jumbo at them. (oops)

Even though you and I can't sit down for coffee and discuss blogging face to face, I thought I would share some of those blogging tips here on the blog.

I have an ebook on the nitty-gritty of blogging that can be found here... and I also have a short and sweet ebook on taking outfit photos for beginners, that can be found here.

BUT! Today I have 5 additional very simple tips on how to boost your readership and engagement using social media and a few other tricks... I hope you enjoy them! Click through to read more!

Blogging Q & A... Part 2.

I'm back today answering MORE of your questions about blogging today... truth be told, it's Friday afternoon and I'm just sitting down to answer these (slacker!) but then I remembered how pumped I get to bring these Q & A sessions to you and suddenly it doesn't matter if it is Friday at 5pm and I'd rather be sipping a cocktail and relaxing!

I'm super passionate about blogging... this is just another way it shows!  Last time you gals had some really great questions (and today you do too!) so if you missed the first installment... check it out here.

Some of you had the same questions... so if a few of the questions seem vague, I just combined them so I wouldn't have to answer them repeatedly...

Q. Did you invest money in your blog when you first started? If so, how much? When?

A. I will say that I did do a month or two here and there of advertising with some large blogs.  I also invested in Photoshop Elements pretty soon after starting my blog.  Other than that really, I didn't invest a lot.  Keep in mind, I also started four years ago.  Facebook was JUST getting popular with people other than college students, Pinterest didn't exist and Twitter was in it's early stages.  Social media as it is today basically DIDN'T exist.  Neither did the IT list (which I would have LOVED to take advantage of in my early stages!).

I have always felt like you can blog for basically free.  Be sure to remember that and use your money or monies wisely.  Never spend more than your gut (or your budget) says you should.

The other thing to keep in mind, is that if you are going to treat your blog like a business (I do!) keep track of any expenditures that you have in a year for tax reasons.  Now I deduct business expenses like new computer software, hosting fees and the like from my yearly earnings.  If you want more information about taxes and being a blogger do some online research or ask your CPA. (I'm no tax expert!).

Q. I've noticed a lot of bloggers using Disqus comments? What are the advantages?

A. I personally like Disqus better than Blogger's commenting system because it's easier for all my readers to use. Some people complain that if you don't use gmail or have a blog that Blogger's commenting system can be difficult. Also, I love that it allows discussion within the comments section between me and the readers. I find it overall more engaging than Blogger's commenting system

It's also free and very simple to install. I highly recommend it!

Q. What are you supposed to do with the comments that are basically bloggers screaming "FOLLOW ME" with a link to their blog?

A. I got this question from a few of you... I just ignore them.  If they want to spam a million blogs like that, let them.  They will tire soon.  If you are getting bonafide spam comments (which honestly is pretty rare) then I delete them... especially if they have weird embedded links in them.

Tying into the above question about Disqus, it's really easy to moderate comments (even from your email).

I hope these few Q & A's helped!  Let me know if you have any other questions!  Happy blogging!

blogging Q & A!

You all had such AMAZING questions last time... are you ready for another round of blogging Q&A? If so... submit your comments to me here in the comments or email them to me and I'll be answering them NEXT Saturday!

Make sure you don't ask a question that I have already answered... click here for the last installment.

AND don't forget to leave a link to your blog (if you have one!).

Blogging Q & A... Part 1.

Welcome to the first blogging q & a!  I'm so glad that some of you had some (really great!) questions for me on blogging... I'm here to answer them!  I realized once I sat down to answer these questions that I get super pumped when I start talking about blogging.  I really love to help people create amazing blogs and I love that it is my career as well. 

I hope you find inspiration and answers here, I truly do.  And don't forget... I'll keep this series going for as long as you gals have questions... so ask away either in the comments or via email to me!

So let's get on to the questions and answers!  Click the "read more" button to get to the Q &A!  There were so many great questions I couldn't squeeze them all into a decent sized post!

Blogging Q & A!

Lately I have been getting an increased number of questions on blogging from readers.  Questions like how to grow your blog, how to find your voice and what programs I use with blogging.

If you have been reading this blog for a while you will remember the old series I did called "Blogging Bits" - it was a very popular series and was so FULL of information that I ultimately compiled it all and edited and added to it and it turned into a fabulous e-book - if you would like more information about that e-book or would like to snag a copy of your own - click here!

But for now I thought it would be fun to start a new blog series that I'll feature from time to time that answers YOUR questions on blogging.  Chances are... if you are wondering about it, others are as well. Whether you are just getting started and want to know how to start or if you are a seasoned pro ready to change things up or take blogging to the next level... ask away!

Leave your questions (and a link to your blog, if you have one!) either in the comments, via email or on Twitter and next week I'll answer as many of them as I can!